FG Knot Video Directions

Free FG Knot Guide [PDF]

Click here to get a single page cheat sheet PDF guide showing the core steps of the FG knot so you can always have it on hand if you need it… it’s 100% FREE!

FG Knot Steps [Must Do All 7]

Here is a list describing the essential steps to the FG Knot:

1. Apply Constant Tension On The Braid

The easiest way to do this is to bite down on the end of the braid with your teeth (use back teeth so your orthodontist doesn’t get upset). And then lean the rod away from you so that the gravity on the rod will keep a nice constant tension on the line.

When fishing from a kayak, I often put the tag end of the braid in my mouth and then lightly step on the braid against the kayak so that it creates enough tension to keep the FG coils together.

And if you’re worried about damaging the line by stepping on it, then another option is to wrap it around a toe.

2. Thread the Leader Onto The Braid

After getting tension on the braid, the next step is to thread that leader onto the braid.

And since both hands are free, this step is so much easier than the traditional style of tying the FG knot.

My favorite way to do it is to have one hand on the coils so I can feel them all settle into place while the other hand moves the leader from side to side.

Here are some pictorials showing how this is done:

Note: A full video tutorial of the FG knot is below the pictorial images

3. Use Hitch Knots To Lock Braid Coils Together

The braid coils are what holds the two lines together… once they are on the leader, we now need to tie a separate knot to prevent them from unraveling.

My favorite knot for this is the basic hitch knot, which is just the act of creating a loop with the tag end of the braid, and then going around the main line before turning going through the loop.

Then just pull it tight into the braid coils and tie another hitch.

Note: When in a rush, I’ll tie 4 hitch knots and then skip the optional step of tying more hitch knots above the tag end of the leader.

4. Pull Hard On Main Lines

The braid coils must dig grooves into the outer layer of the leader in order to permanently lock itself into place. So it is VERY important to apply heavy tension to the knot to ensure that the grooves are formed.

Important Note: This step needs to be done before cutting the tag end of the leader off… otherwise, the coils may slide off because they typically shift up slightly before forming their grooves.

5. Cut Off Tag End of Leader

Now that the braid coils are locked into place, it’s time to cut off the leader’s tag end.

6. Tie Two More Hitch Knots Above the Leader

The purpose of this step is to create a smoother top of the knot so that the hard edge of the leader’s tag end doesn’t snag onto anything (floated debris, rod guides, etc.).

7. Cut Off Tag End of the Braid

All is complete so time to cut off the braid’s tag end and start fishing.

Free FG Knot Guide [PDF]

Click here to get a single page cheat sheet PDF guide showing these core steps of the FG knot so you can always have it on hand if you need it… it’s 100% FREE!

The FG Knot In Less Than 60 Seconds

As I mentioned above, the most common reason we’ve heard from those who watched the video above in YouTube was that it takes too long to tie.

But the tying was of course done slowly in order to explain the various steps.

So we thought it would be fun to make a video showing me tying the FG Knot without taking the time to walk through each step. And the result was an FG knot in less than 60 seconds… here is the video:

Conclusion

Learning how to tie the FG knot in under 60 seconds is not difficult… it just requires knowing the quick method explained in this video.

And the most important part to remember is the tightening of the braid coils on the leader before cutting off the leader’s tag because that is what locks the coils in place for good.

Best of all, it will result in a knot that has tested out to be more than 20% stronger than many very popular knots for connecting a braided line to a mono/fluoro leader.

Note: The breaking test results change depending on line types used, so I highly recommend trying it out on your favorite gear and seeing if it has a higher breaking point than whichever knot you’re using to see if it’s worth the switch.

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This was the first method that I found to tie the FG knot. It does work, but I found that the tension method does 2 things better: (1) it allows me to tie the knot much faster, and (2) it results in a more stronger knot more consistently since it ensures that all of the coils are packed together under the same tension which enables the most efficient spread of the tension load.

I have managed to successfully tie the FG knot, but have yet to find a device that will consistently make a clean cut in 10 to 15# power pro braided line. I always get cuts with ugly edges with fuzzy whiskers. Has anyone found a reliable device to trim braided line?

Reply

2 months ago

Guest

Chris Zagers

Wow. I just HAD to try this knot after seeing the instructions. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure I could do it. Will let you know how it goes.

Glad to see that you are trying the FG knot! I hope you like it as much as I do. Fish On!

Reply

3 months ago

Guest

Matt

I’ve been using this knot for about 2 years with power pro and power pro slick8 and it has worked fantastic. Recently switched to max cuatro on one reel, lost one nice red and have had 3 or 4 failures during cast with jig heads. All seperating at knot. Wondering if it’s the combination. 20 lb braid with 20lb seagur premier.

Does this knot work a well with a doubled braid loop to mono or Flouro line? I ask since its the bite of the braid that seems to hold it together and perhaps the doubled line digs in less?? Thanks for the great video.

Yes, it works for a doubled braid as long as the braid’s strength is weaker than the leader (their respective diameters much be far apart for the necessary grooves to be created in the outer layer of the leader.

Reply

10 months ago

Guest

Iain Murray

Hi all, ive just used this knot to put 30lb mono leader on my 20lb braid and was very easy , normally i fish with bait with a swivel on braid to leader and a free running sinker but also want to use soft bait lures with no sinker and would mean cutting off the swivel and tying leader on when changing between bait and lures is there a way to put a sinker on without having to cut the line each time I want to use bait or livies

Hi all, Just got nanofil, tieing it successfully to mono using the fg knot. Haven’t tried flouro yet but shouldn’t make much of a difference I hope. Keeping the line tight while tieing the knot is key. Also recommend anyone using the fg knot to finish it with a rizzuto knot.

Reply

1 year ago

Guest

Anonymous

Think I have it until the hitch knots… I can’t figure out how that works. It just ties a knot a few inches above the coils then the knot is ruined

It sounds like you made an overhand knot instead of a hitch knot to lock in your FG knot coils. To tie the hitch knot, pull your tag end up towards your rod tip at a 30 degree angle to the main line.

Then, wrap that tag end back behind the main line so that it’s now behind the main line and pointing off to the side opposite of where you started (made sure to keep slack in the tag end so that the gap of the main line and the start of the tag still has that separation from the 30 degree angle at the beginning).

Finally, move the tag end forward and thread it down through the gap you made at the very beginning. This should result in a simple loop that constricts down to the coils as you put tension on it.

Reply

1 year ago

Guest

Don Campbell

I do open ocean kayak fishing in New Zealand where it can get a bit rough out there at times.
Bouncing around in a narrow kayak often with waves coming over the boat regularly made me think it was impossible to do an FG on the water until I found this video quite some ago.
When soft baiting the wash around off-shore islands bust-offs are quite common so with the practice I get most times out, I am also now doing the less than 60 second FG, something I couldn’t even do at home using the usual method.
The one little change I made was not using the teeth as its hard to keep the head in one place when being tossed about in a small space so I leave the rod in a front holder, tie a quick loop in the end of the braid and then clip it to the kayak in front of me.
A slight bend in the rod keeps the tension on (hands and teeth free) as well as keeping the reel up and clear of water coming over the deck. When I have worked the leader on to the braid I nip off the loop and complete the hitch knots and trimming of tag ends, it could not be easier and the FG knots are strong and consistent.

Thanks guys for a great video, it has certainly changed the way I fish knowing a perfect leader to braid FG knot is less than a minute away, especially when busted of in the middle of some hot action..

I’m from the UK & only fly fish but come to the US every year & bring a travel spinning rod & just muck about really from the piers but learning more about sea fishing every year. This year I decided to tie some leader to my braid but was worried I’d muck the FG knot up & loose my tackle. I came across Salt Strongs FG video & couldnt believe how easy it was to follow. I was happy with my first attempt so set off next morning. Caught 4 pompano, 1 was 15 1/2 inches to tail fork & was told it was a good fish from that pier. My knot held firm so just a thank you for helping me out. Im learning so much on the site about fishing lures etc that thinking of fishing the sea at home. I’m from Northumberland & we have great waters. Thanks again, Scotty.

Thanks so much for sharing your story with us. We are thrilled to see that you’re enjoying the FG knot. Congrats on your fun day of pompano fishing. They sure are a blast to catch, and they make for some great dinner guests:)

Reply

1 year ago

Guest

Anonymous

Nice article, but it’s “grooves,” not “groves.” A “grove” is a group of trees.

John
I have never met two finer people with better video description than you.
I want to tie the FG fishing knot but I have no bottom teeth to hold the braided line.
Do you have any other method for me to facilitate or a device that I can purchase that will do same.
Thanks again guys, you’ve been wonderful
John

Hey John, thanks so much for leaving the nice comment! Instead of using your mouth, you can secure the line on any other object you see fit that can enable you to have both hands free and constant tension on the line.

One way is to tie a quick loop at the end of the braid and then put it around the reel’s handle. Next, reel the line in until the slack it out, and now you have tension on the line that’ll enable you to tie the FG knot.

Glad to see that you have mastered the FG knot. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Tight Lines!

Reply

2 years ago

Guest

Kelly

Hey great knot, the FG! here in the Midwest we are always tying larger braid line, lead core, or braided ice fishing line to much lighter mono. The FG doesn’t seem to make the braid bite into mono? Any suggestions?

I tie Berkley Nano-Fol 10# test to 8# test Flouralcarbon a lot. Key for me is keeping the Nano-Fil tight while tying and wrapping 25 or more times around the Flouralcarbon. Also, I snug the Nano-Fil wraps tight before and after the half hitches. Lastly, ALWAYS test the knot before trimming the leader as about 20% of the times the leader will slip out of the Nano-Fil. This is a result of me not keeping the main line (Nano-Fil) tight and/or snug. Last thought, all my Nano-Fil loaded freshwater spinning reels have line that is getting older so the “slickness” is probably less than new Nano-Fil. I just love how the knot comes through the rod guides.
Great website with tons of info….even for us Bass & Muskie fisherman. Thank you Luke & saltstrong.

Thanks Luke for introducing me to this solid knot, took me a while to to feel confident in the strength of the knot, wouldn’t use my expensive crank baits with it for ages, lol.! But after catching hard figh ting Pollack at sea and pike in freshwater, sometimes on same leader, it’s now the only knot I use, leader to braid!??

Luke…Thanks for introducing us to the FG knot…..BUT, please give it a shot with Berkley Nanofil. I’ve tried it with 17# Nanofil and 20# Sugoi Fluorocarbon at least 10 times and it failed everytime. My guess is that this combination of lines is impossible without some modifications to the procedure. Is the Nanofil too “slick” or the Sugoi too “hard”(or both)???
Burk

Hey Burk, I have not yet tried the FG knot with nanofil line, but my guess is that is what is causing the issue because I’ve heard from a few others who mentioned issues with the FG knot slipping when tying with nanofil.

My guess is that since nanofil line is too smooth of a line to work with the FG knot… it doesn’t have the rougher braid strands of a braided line that allow the important notches to be dug into the outer layer of the leader.

Thanks, Luke…The “6TS” knot definitely looks to be a winner with this particular combination of lines. I’ll try it with fluoro leader instead of mono but will probably just stay with the ol’ standard uni-to-uni after comparing the diameters of the two knots.

I haven’t tried either of them on nanofil, so be sure to test them out to see which one is stronger…. because a good bonus of the 6TS is that it’s faster to tie than the uni assuming that there isn’t a lure tied on to the other end of the leader when it’s being tied.

Hey Patrick, in case you haven’t yet tried the surgeon’s knot, I highly recommend it at a close 2nd to the FG knot. It’s a tad weaker than the FG, but it’s much easier and faster to tie… here’s a video showing the results from a test I did on it: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/surgeons-knot/

Reply

3 years ago

Guest

Tim

I find it is easiest to tie one end off and then lean the rod over (I will frequently loop a hook on and use it as an anchor) that way I can hold the line further away for old eyes and concentrate on the knot. Thanks for the great review of this knot.

I have never tried the Australian Quickie knot, so I’ll put it on my list of knots to test out.

Note: I just did a quick search of it on YouTube, and it appears to be very similar to the Yucatan knot, which is a great knot, but the FG had the upper hand when I tested the two against one another last year.

Started using the FG knot a few months ago after seeing the first video, the first few times I tried it I will admit it took a few minutes to get it right but now after having done it for a while now I can consistently do it in under a minute . It is now my go to knot to tie when using braid to mono leader.

I’m glad to see that you’re enjoying the FG knot too. I’m still baffled at how strong this tiny knot is, but I’m 100% confident using it vs. any others after doing the continued knot contests. Fish On!

Reply

3 years ago

Guest

Hal Herzog

Great knot! However, I had trouble holding the line in my teeth. So instead, I grab the end of the line with a pair forceps and drop it down the front of my shirt. This holds the line tight perfectly.